VW says it has sold over 100,000 TDI diesels in America this year

Volkswagen Group of America has lit oil-burning fireworks to celebrate the sales of more than 100,000 TDI Clean Diesel vehicles in the US between its VW and Audi brands this year. According to VW, that means it is responsible for more than 75 percent of diesel-engined cars and SUVs sold here – perhaps not surprising when the two brands offer a total of 12 diesel models.

VW's keen to play up the ease of making diesel part of your life, stressing that it doesn't need any change to the refueling infrastructure and that "this is a technology delivering real answers to society's concerns about fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without compromises."

You can read more about the good news and diesel's good deeds in the press release below.

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IT'S OFFICIAL: Volkswagen Group of America has sold more than 100,000 TDI® Clean Diesel vehicles in 2013

Herndon, VA, 12.20.2013 - Volkswagen Group of America reported today that it has sold 100,000 TDI® Clean Diesel vehicles from the Volkswagen and Audi brands this year. This is the first time it has reached this milestone in a calendar year. Volkswagen and Audi currently offer 12 different TDI Clean Diesel powered models in the United States.

"Selling more than100,000 TDI Clean Diesel vehicles is a significant milestone for Volkswagen Group of America," said Mark McNabb, chief operating officer, Volkswagen of America. "We're excited to see the increasing numbers of customers able to enjoy the reliability, durability, fuel-efficiency and power of the clean diesel engine."

"The past year has shown that American consumers clearly recognize the benefits of clean diesel TDI vehicles," said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America. "They understand now more than ever that this is a technology delivering real answers to society's concerns about fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without compromises."

More than 75 percent of the diesel engines sold in the passenger car and SUV segments in the United States can be found under the hoods of Volkswagen and Audi models. Ever since 1977, when Volkswagen first offered a diesel in the Rabbit, the company has sold more than one million cars and SUVs powered by these engines in this market. High-mileage, TDI® Clean Diesel Volkswagen models accounted for 21 percent of sales in November and 24 percent of sales year-to-date, the best year-to-date results on record.

In 2013, Audi showed it intends to remain at the forefront of clean diesel expansion in the U.S. by dramatically enhancing its lineup with the new Audi Q5 TDI, A6 TDI, A7 TDI and A8 TDI models. Those premium models joined the Audi Q7 SUV in the market, and next summer Audi will introduce its most fuel-efficient model, the all-new A3 TDI sedan.

The TDI models in the Audi and Volkswagen lineup deliver up to 30% better fuel economy and 12%-30% lower carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline engines and there is no need for driver behavior change except to move from one pump to the other and no need for big infrastructure changes.

Volkswagen offers Clean Diesel technology in seven different models, six of which get an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 40 mpg or more on the highway. The models include the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Passat and Touareg.

About Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. VWGoA operates a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee and houses the U.S. operations of a worldwide family of distinguished and exciting brands including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit, Inc. Founded in 1955, the company's headquarters are in Herndon, Va. VWGoA brings vehicles to the U.S. that marry the science of engineering and the art of styling, with the goal of offering attractive, safe, and eco-conscious automobiles that are competitive and set world standards in their respective classes. The company has approximately 5,900 employees in the United States and sells its vehicles through a 950-strong dealer network.

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Just got a used TDI sportwagen as a DD and utility car. I don't think I'll get any $ savings (nor losses) with the premium I paid for a diesel however there are few gasser sportwagens on the used market. Plus, over my lifetime I want to own and experience a broad range of vehicles that have peaked my interest so this checks off the diesel category.
There is basically 2 options in the large cargo, good mpg, MTC wagon arena, sportwagon and Subaru outback (which doesnt have mpg that are that great).

Fuel economy and massive torque aside, the biggest argument for diesel in the U.S. is the incredible resale value. The cost of the diesel option doesn't depreciate one cent over the car's lifetime, thanks to the huge demand for used diesel vehicles.
Diesel may be a $1500-$4k option, but you come out ahead the instant you drive it off the lot.

No you do not. I am willing to bet that a typical car buyer would even know what diesel is. It is for people who know cars, for people who are into that type of a thing.
It's like luxury watches either name Jaeger Lecoultre mean something to you or it means absolutely nothing, to most people it means nothing so the resale market is much smaller.

Or is the low supply? Few people really buy diesels in US and diesel fuel is bit more expensive.
But even if it would be so great I do take issue how VW/Audi is spreading propaganda. Imagine if Toyota would say these exact same things:
- 'clean hybrid'
- hybrids are unfairly treated compared to EV and public survey shows US agrees with us (yes Audi really did say that about diesels),
- hybrid growth is amazing (yet don't show % market share)

That's why I really like my MK4 TDI. The fuel injection pump pushes a lot less pressure and has been problem-free after 260K miles. By reflashing the ECU and installing larger fuel injector nozzles, my TDI went from 90hp & 155 ft-lbs at the crank to approximately 130hp & 255 ft-lbs. Extremely drivable, reliable, economical($400 upgrade), and no negative effect on fuel economy.

Having been exposed to VW quality issues not long ago myself and a close friend currently, No Way I would buy a VW product but I would think small volumes marques like Mazda could dip in to these sales to dedicated folks.
Mazda seems to have decent vehicles but CVTs and a go-along attitude does not seem to be getting them very far. The Mazda dealer of many years in this town of 40,000 is now a Mazda dealer 40mi away in a village of 1,000. That is not progress.
Jim

I guess that is good for VW, and the oil companies. Personally I have looked into the diesel option but I can not make the math work for my situation. First the cost of the TDI is about $6,000 more than a regular gas version. The dealers are firm with their pricing around here, which is near MSRP. Then the cost of the fuel which is at least .20 cents more than premium in the Boston area. Though at a couple off brand stations I have seen it on par with premium. On top of that few stations around here carry diesel. I would have to drive a lot of miles per year to recoup the initial cost. Then there is the expense of maintaining the overly complicated emission system. On top of that I do not trust VW's reliability. Too many friends have traded in VW's for Japanese brands after expensive mechanical issues starting popping up after the warranty expired. The cars were less 5 year old and all the cars were from the mid-to late 2000s. It my case it would be cheaper to buy a new Mazda 3 with the 2.0 engine that starts $6,000 less and gets in the high 30's mpg.

Everyone ignores the fact that the diesel premium ($6k? What vehicle are you looking at, a F-250?) is effectively "free", since the diesel option doesn't depreciate in the used market. That is the primary financial incentive for diesel, usually more so than the fuel savings.
Diesel is probably a poor choice for Boston or any other urban metropolis, since the incredible mileage won't be realized in congested city driving. As for reliability, the Mazda3 and Golf have nearly identical reliability results on TrueDelta:
http://www.truedelta.com/Mazda-Mazda3/reliability-170/vs-Golf-279

@ RetrogradE:
What was the price for a comparable gas version of the same MY Touareg with similar miles? That's the question.
Matt isn't stating that they don't depreciate at all (that's idiotic), but that compared to a gas version, the diesel ones sell for a higher price on the used market.
So, for instance, if you saw a Touareg TDI on the lot for $37k and there happened to be a similar model that happened to be gas that gas one might be selling for more like $33 or $34k.

@clquake:
If one decides to drive their vehicle into the ground rather than to sell it after a while, then a diesel still makes sense because over time, the money saved on fuel each year will outweigh the initial cost.
For instance, using the $3,500 figure you stated and going off of the EPA fuel mileage estimates and yearly fuel cost figures, the TDI Touareg will cost $350 less per year in fuel compared to the gas V6. That's 10yrs to recover the cost, quite a while to be sure, but you're the one who wanted to talk about driving are car into the ground.
Not to mention that this is calculated using the EPA's figures which are generally pessimistic for diesels. For instance, fuelly.com shows that the 2012 and 2013 versions of the Touareg TDI are trending right around a 25mpg average, about 10% higher than the EPA says. By comparison, the gas V6 version for 2011, 2012 and 2013 is right at the EPA figure of 19mpg. So, the payback is likely going to be a fair amount less than the 10yrs estimated using the EPA's figures.
And don't forget that if you somewhere along the line decide not to keep it for life, then you can sell it at a premium compared to the gas version.

For instance, I just went onto kbb.com to run a test. I got the private party values for a 2012 VR6 Touareg Sport and also a TDI Touareg Sport. I said that both had 50k miles and both had standard equipment.
Here's what it spit back at me:
Private Party Value (Excellent Condition)
VR6 - $29,137
TDI - $35,262

Doesn't depreciate? What are you smoking?
I saw a 2012 Touareg TDI on a Honda dealership lot last week. . . asking price was $37K.
New, in 2012, that rig was $54K.
Been a long time since I studied econ in college, but I'm pretty sure this would demonstrate depreciation.

Taking Matt's post word for word, he literally states the diesel option doesn't depreciate in the used market. What he doesn't take into account, is if the owner drives the car until it falls apart. Depreciation no longer has any meaning, but the initial out of pocket expense is more for a diesel. The 2014 Toureg TDI w/ nav is 51K, the gas V6 w/ nav is 47.5K, roughly $3,500 less.